<div class="quote_poster">Quote:</div><div class="quote_post">MERCER ISLAND ? In the murkiness of a half-dark gymnasium, Rob Potashnick works the zoom of his hand-held home video camera, trying not to shake, not to do anything to make this spectacle standing before him disappear. Through the viewfinder looms a man-child, a basketball player of gargantuan proportions. Bigger than Shaq. Bigger than Arvydas Sabonis. The same height as Yao Ming. And this player is holding his arms out from the side of his head, pinching a basketball between the thumb and forefinger of each palm. He giggles and waggles his hands, still clutching the balls. Want him to use different fingers? he asks. Jerry Sokoloski is 7 feet 5, 311 pounds and wears a size-22 shoe. And here is the best part: Almost nobody in basketball knows he exists. "So you think this is what the NBA scouts want to see?" Potashnick asks from behind the camera. Potashnick is a real-estate agent and an eighth-grade basketball coach. He knows nothing about NBA prospects other than the most intriguing player in this year's draft has just walked into his life. And that the best thing to do when you have the basketball equivalent of Sasquatch in your garage is to make a videotape, because everyone will want proof. </div> <font size="1">Full Story courtesy of Les Carpenter and the Seattle Times.</font> It's long, but it's a really heart warming read.
I don't think he will ever make it in the NBA, and I doubt he will get drafted... Sure he's tall... but he never played against real competition... plus.. he's got 'TROUBLE' written all over him with those health and other problems... Right now he's having trouble picking the right friends, imagine what happens when he's going to earn big money...
I think a team could throw a mid to late second rounder in his direction. Those are the picks you can take risks with.
<div class="quote_poster">Quote:</div><div class="quote_post">By his 21st birthday, he will have weighed 500 pounds, lost 200, put 100 back on, lost it again, nearly died from a liver ailment, been to three high schools, fallen in love, fallen out of love and cared for an ailing father when no one else could.</div> It does sound like trouble. Supersonic is right though. He's worth a late pick.
Well IMO, despite all the troubles and questions of his mindset, managing to loose over 100 pounds on two separate occasions means the kid has a work ethic (both weight gains from a situation out of his control). He looked after his father and moved in with a single mother, to me that shows responsibility. It is true, there are a lot f question marks and danger signs around the guy. But he's 7'5, I would think a team in the second round would take a chance, let him play overseas for a year or two and see what happens. High risk, high reward IMO.
At 7'5, I'm sure anyone would risk a mid to late 2nd round pick on him. He's young, so with a two year rookie contract the team can work with him and still sign him to his second contract for relatively little, and then have much more time to develope his skills. Even if he's just an effective backup center, like Chuck Nevitt, another 7'5" guy, it would be time and money well spent. No one, not even Sokoloski, claims he's a potential All Star.
man in the world 7-5 players are a lot you see Slavko Vranes selected by the knicks these player si a joke very bad we had to search strong and whit good skills centers like emeka okafor and other not big centers
Ok, I agree, he could be a possibility for a 2nd round pick. However, I wouldn't send him to Europe. He would have a major problem adjusting to the type of game overhere, and he would not get a lot of playing time. If he gets drafted they should keep him with the team, and work intensively with him to get some progress, like the Pistons do with Darko.
<div class="quote_poster">Quoting magicfrankie:</div><div class="quote_post">Ok, I agree, he could be a possibility for a 2nd round pick. However, I wouldn't send him to Europe. He would have a major problem adjusting to the type of game overhere, and he would not get a lot of playing time. If he gets drafted they should keep him with the team, and work intensively with him to get some progress, like the Pistons do with Darko.</div> Actually, on second thoughts you do raise a very good point there about the style of European basketball in comparison to in the States. Again, it raises the issues of having a development league in direct regard to the NBA.
I started to read this in the paper at school the other day. If a guy is that big and obviously has work ethic like Supersonic said, what else do you need from a lane filler? The post moves will come with coaching and it's not mandatory for him to develop a mid range game. All that would be required of him is to stuff guys, make short shots or dunks, and get rebounds. Of course he is a big risk but you have the potential of a Shaqlike player... but bigger.
Like almost all the European-style type of players overrated. It will take him like 3 to 4 years to develop his game and he will never be as agressive as American players. the only agressive foreigner player I've seen is Nene and he's American too (South America). Anyone knows what happen with Eddie Griffin?.
<div class="quote_poster">Quoting KingSac:</div><div class="quote_post">Like almost all the European-style type of players overrated. It will take him like 3 to 4 years to develop his game and he will never be as agressive as American players.</div> If it was a mid to late 2nd round pick I'd gladly use it on a guy that needs development with his size. Most second rounders are cut before the season starts and is never heard about ever again anyway, instead of cutting a player just develop this guy. If you take your time and develop him, he might turn out to be a decent roll player, or maybe even better some day.
To me, this sounds like a prime candidate for the NBDL. At least he's the type of guy David Stern wants in the NBDL.
KingSac, Ginobili is pretty agressive, Songaila is a workhorse, Yao's beginning to take more shots than last year... There are some agressive foreigners out there, not alot but there's a few. I'm not buying this Jerry kid though, he might make it in the NBA as one of those "hack-a-shaq" dummy guy.. What was his name again? The 7-footer that got paid 1 mil / year just to get into games and foul out vs Shaq?
<div class="quote_poster">Quoting SupraJames:</div><div class="quote_post">I'm not buying this Jerry kid though, he might make it in the NBA as one of those "hack-a-shaq" dummy guy.. What was his name again? The 7-footer that got paid 1 mil / year just to get into games and foul out vs Shaq?</div> The league has plenty of those kind of guys.
yea but are they getting paid a mil / year? Damn it must be a kickass job... to go in, foul out whenever u play the lakers, and get paid a mil a year :mrgreen:
